COI in Drug Studies Sneaking Back
Hidden financial conflicts-of-interest are sneaking into published drug research through the back door–meta-analyses.
Hidden financial conflicts-of-interest are sneaking into published drug research through the back door–meta-analyses.
"The problem of prescription overdose in the military has its parallel in civilian life. The tragic overdose victims in both spheres represent canaries in the coal mine–only the most obvious victims of what has become our national orgy of over using psychotropic drugs." Allen Frances MD
"We didn’t declare these competing interests because it didn’t occur to us to do so " Fiona Godlee, editor-in chief, BMJ.
If mentally incapacitated troops are being drugged with dangerous, mind-altering drugs and deployed to battle against their will, how can we say that we have a volunteer army?
This year alone, because of patent expirations, the drug industry will lose control over more than 10 megamedicines whose combined annual sales have neared $50 billion.
“Do we have to wait for him to kill himself or someone else before anyone does anything?” thinking for sure someone would call me back in the morning and re-hospitalize Dan. Unbelievably, no one responded…" Mary Weiss.
"Shocking as it may seem, U.S. government doctors once thought it was fine to experiment on disabled people and prison inmates." Associated Press, Feb 27, 2011
"Our systems of mental health care have become too medication focused, and it’s time for a broader approach. History will show that this national shift began this weekend in Portland, Oregon.”
*More antipsychotic treatment was associated with smaller gray matter volumes. Progressive decrement in white matter volume was most evident among patients who received more antipsychotic treatment.
"House Bill 23 hits a rare political sweet spot. The proposal to create an independent clinic review of the drugs foster children are given has support from Democrats and Republicans because of its efforts to protect the vulnerable — and projections that it will save the state millions of dollars."…
New FDA antipsychotic Warnings: "The symptoms of EPS and withdrawal in newborns may include agitation, abnormally increased or decreased muscle tone, tremor, sleepiness, severe difficulty breathing, and difficulty in feeding."
The deeper problem is that current incentives reward drug companies to develop mainly new, but not better medicines at ever higher prices.